Morons Auctioning Dog At Garage Sale

[Guest Willow]

There was a garage sale at the weekend , opposite the park where I have dog training. I arrived early, so OH & I decided to have a bit of a look around. We noticed a sign stating there would be a dog auction at 4pm, and OH said "Jeez, surely they mean a toy dog not a real one???" We thought maybe it was a gimmick, as the sale was being run by a church group to raise money for the Haitian earthquake victims.

Anyway, I got on with training & thought no more about it until halfway through my class a lady approached me & said "we've been trying to auction a dog but no one wants it. Can you take it please???"

WTF???!!!

I replied "I'm teaching a class here....no!!!"

"can you ask your clients if they will take it?"

"No I bloody well won't, this is completely innapropriate!!!"

I went on to give her a serve about exactly why her plan was stupid & ill-concieved...she finished by saying. "It will have to be put down then".

Turns out the poor thing had been given to the garage sale by a guy who didn't want it any more. The church thought they "could raise a bit of money" because "who wouldn't want a little dog???" :D

She then proceeded to hassle all my clients as they left class trying to offload the dog.

In the end, I told her to surrender her to the pound. In the Shire this suburb falls in, the little girl will go to the pound at the RSPCA, as a surrender she'll be temp assessed in a couple of days, and being a little SWF will last all of 5 minutes before being rehomed.

I'm calling a freind who works in the pound to check the dog gets there ok and keep track of her.

What the hell are people thinking?????

[Sheridan]

This was a church group??

[Winterpaws]

[mita]

I directed her to take it to a safe place. Having worked in rescue, the "I will put it down" is a guilt threat regularly used by people to make you take the "problem" off their hands. The sale organiser was quite happy to sort out surrendering the dog, she just hadn't realised that was an option.

Onya, Willow, for letting her know about another option.

I've got a vague memory that there's some RSPCA national guideline that companion animals like cats & dogs...should not be put up as prizes in raffles or in fund-raising auctions. OK, it's not backed by any law. But it's regarded as unethical & not in a cat or dog's welfare interests.

Edited March 8, 2010 by mita

[Nekhbet]

maybe you should also let them know the law states that animals cannot be given as prizes or used as fundraising activities

Poor poor little dog what sick people

[mita]

Willow, I'm wondering if it's an opportunity to get the principle of not raffling or auctioning dogs for fundraising....some more attention..

Some time back, a national pre-teen magazine put up a puppy as a prize. Outcry from animal lovers.....especially here on DOL (old-timers will remember it). As it was against RSPCA national guidelines .I contacted the media person for Qld, who sent a very clear message to the magazine. Lots of other people sent similar messages or contacted other welfare bodies. To their credit, the magazine dropped the puppy prize.

So, would you consider contacting the WA RSPCA, giving them the details of what you saw & suggesting that it's something people running raffles & auctions for fund-raising, should know about.

[Dame Aussie]

That is unbelievable Willow, good on you for telling her how it is.

So sad, I hope the wee dog gets a great home.

ETA:Spelling!

Edited March 8, 2010 by Aussie3

[Guest Willow]

maybe you should also let them know the law states that animals cannot be given as prizes or used as fundraising activities

Poor poor little dog what sick people

I knew it was hugely inappropriate, but didn't realise it was actually the law (makes sense though)

Willow, I'm wondering if it's an opportunity to get the principle of not raffling or auctioning dogs for fundraising....some more attention..

Some time back, a national pre-teen magazine put up a puppy as a prize. Outcry from animal lovers.....especially here on DOL (old-timers will remember it). As it was against RSPCA national guidelines .I contacted the media person for Qld, who sent a very clear message to the magazine. Lots of other people sent similar messages or contacted other welfare bodies. To their credit, the magazine dropped the puppy prize.

So, would you consider contacting the WA RSPCA, giving them the details of what you saw & suggesting that it's something people running raffles & auctions for fund-raising, should know about.

Good thinking. I will perhaps make a phone call or two today.

[Guest Willow]

Have just got off the phone to the Chief Inspector. He said that despite it being HIGHLY inappropriate & stupid, there is nothing the RSPCA is able to do as the dog was not being cruelly treated. He suggested speaking to the coucil, as they ay be able to do more.

[mita]

Willow, raffling/auctioning companion dogs for fund-raising contravenes RSPCA national guidelines, I think. It's not against the law of the land, as far as I know (unless WA is different).

But being told that, would exert moral pressure...& a group would know iit'd be a PR disaster if they went ahead with it.

[Andisa]

Well done Willow - you did the right thing, no doubts at all.

As for taking in dogs that will end up at the pound - I did that once, and I would not do it again. The dog I took in was an elderly SWF and luckily for me he was a very nice little dog.

One other time I did tell a friend about another SWF who was heading to the pound - big mistake....that dog was a nasty bastard and had bitten 5 people in 3 days (one was my daughter totally unprovoked). She was prepared to wait and see if he was going to settle in but I did trick her in to taking the dog to the pound telling her that they would rehome him - I told her to be honest how she got him and what has happened in the days that she had him. He was PTS on the spot. She was upset and had she known that they would PTS she said she would not have taken him there - it was about a week before she spoke to me again - she knew it was for the best as each attack got worse.

I contacted the previous owner and told them what had happened after the 1st attack and asked them to take him back - not friggen likely - then I was told the TRUTH about why they "got rid of him" (WORDS I HATE BEING SAID ABOUT ANIMALS).

I have been grooming dogs for over 7 yrs and every now and then I get asked if I can find a new home for their dog - I have been asked to take them in too since I like dogs so much. I am not in a position to do it and I get pissed off when being asked to. I send them to the pound and advise the NOT to get another dog for a very long time. You would be amazed how many of those ***** then go on to tell me that they have already told the kids that they can have another dog in a few months when things are different...... TWO SWF's come to mind just now - they were getting kicked out because they were building a new deck and doing up the back yard and they didn't want the dogs pissing on the new deck... ;)

So would I take in another dog on the spot because of some irresponsible twit - NO BLOODY WAY...

Sending them to the pound is the best thing to do....

I have one of my pups back now - 16mth old entire male Rottweiler because of an illness in the family....I will always have one I bred back - but will not take on someone else's problems...

People need to face up to their own responsibilities and not expect to dump it on to some other poor bastard who happens to be close by..

*rant over*

[mita]

Have just got off the phone to the Chief Inspector. He said that despite it being HIGHLY inappropriate & stupid, there is nothing the RSPCA is able to do as the dog was not being cruelly treated. He suggested speaking to the coucil, as they ay be able to do more.

Yes, because it's not against the law of the land. So there's no law for the RSPCA to enforce.

Now his summation of the ethics.....it's highly inappropriate & stupid....should be enough to make fund-raising organisations think again.

That's basically what the media person here wrote to the magazine offering a pup as a prize.

Edited March 8, 2010 by mita

[OSoSwift]

How bloody stupid of people to auction off a dog, even more stupid are the people that "donated" it like the dog was a chair or something.

As for being a church group, I do remember a thread here about a church group who I think the bitch of one member had puppies, they all went to church membrs who were going to breed them and sell them to make money, so just because people are members of a church group doesn't make them ethical when it comes to animals, or that they have a shred of common sense.

As for the comment Willow, take no notice you did the right thing. Also taking into account Willow has her own dogs and animals to think about and take care of and may not have the facilities to take on an unknown dog with potential issues, she is also due to have a baby very shortly. Whilst that will not affect the current animals she has, having an unknown who may prove to have some issues could be a real problem. Willow will be busy enough in the near future without having to clean up after stupid people mistakes.

We are not all able to bring home any waif and stray that people threaten to euthanase. If I had taken every dog or cat or even horse home someone had threatened that with, I would have hundreds upon hundreds of them

[mita]

We are not all able to bring home any waif and stray that people threaten to euthanase. If I had taken every dog or cat or even horse home someone had threatened that with, I would have hundreds upon hundreds of them

It comes down to what an individual has the knowledge or resources to do in a particular situation.

Willow did what was the best she could do, when she came upon the dog being auctioned.

Others might have done something else.....because they knew of something else or had different resources themselves.

So someone else might have done something different about the dog.

There's no rule of thumb.

Same when we come across a person in big trouble. We help according to what we know & what we can do.

Edited March 8, 2010 by mita

[Greytmate]

Good on you Willow.

I am really surprised that anyone would suggest that it was your responsibility to take on the dog. It would have been highly irresponsible to just bring home another dog of unknown background to mix with your own dogs.

What is this church that goes around hassling the public? I would put in a formal written complain to the head of the church. How dare that woman threaten to kill the dog if you do not take it. Outrageous.

[Russkie30]

Hi Willow

You did the right thing. You directed this idiot of a person to the right authorities. I think a letter to the editor in your local paper outlining everything that happened would be good. Or even get if you get in contact with the local newspaper to do a story on it. Unbelievable what idiots are out in our society. Church groups or not, for god sake they could have a bake stall instead of auctioning of a dog disgusting.

[mita]

Good on you Willow.

I am really surprised that anyone would suggest that it was your responsibility to take on the dog. It would have been highly irresponsible to just bring home another dog of unknown background to mix with your own dogs.

I would put in a formal written complain to the head of the church. How dare that woman threaten to kill the dog if you do not take it. Outrageous.

The worst part of the whole story, is the emotional blackmail.

As to any agreement to take the dog....that would be someone's choice based on their own circumstances, not their responsibility.

[Guest Willow]

Thanks all.

Still haven't managed to get hold of the frinds who works at the pound, so I can't fins out yet what happened to the little one. Hopefuly all will be ok.